FEHB Open Season 2026: What Changes for 2027 — and the Checklist for Anyone Within Five Years of Retirement

Who This Article Is For

• Federal employees planning to retire within the next five years
• Retirees choosing a 2027 plan
• Anyone turning 65 in the next year or two
• Feds planning to move when they retire

1. What's Changing for 2027

"Average" covers a wide range. Some plans rise far more than 10.9%, and some less. Look up your own plan's 2027 rate rather than assuming the average. On average, the self-only increase works out to about $13 per biweekly paycheck — roughly $350 a year.

Doing nothing keeps you in your current plan at the new rate. If your plan is leaving the program, you'll be notified and have to choose another.

2. Within Five Years of Retirement: The Checklist

Make sure the five-year clock is running

To carry FEHB into retirement, you must be covered by FEHB for the five years immediately before you retire (or continuously since your first opportunity, if that's shorter). Coverage as a family member on a spouse's FEHB enrollment counts. Coverage under a spouse's private employer plan does not. (The five-year rule.)

If you're relying on a spouse's non-federal plan and might retire within five years, this Open Season may be your last chance to start the clock in time. Enroll in any FEHB plan — even the cheapest — to preserve the right. You can change plans every Open Season without breaking the clock.

Compare plans the way a retiree pays for them

As an employee, your premium comes out pre-tax through premium conversion. As a retiree, OPM deducts it after tax. The same plan costs more in retirement than it does now. If you'll retire in 2027, compare 2027 premiums on an after-tax basis.

Check the network where you'll retire

FEHB goes with you; your plan's network may not. HMOs and regional plans often have no providers outside their service area. Moving at retirement is a qualifying life event that lets you change plans outside Open Season — but it's simpler to choose a plan with a national network if you know you'll relocate.

Right-size the enrollment

Many near-retirees are still on Self and Family coverage for children who've aged out. Children are covered to 26. If only you and your spouse remain, Self Plus One usually costs less.

3. Already Retired: What to Compare

• Total cost, not just premium. Premium plus the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum you realistically expect. A cheaper premium with a high deductible can cost more in a year with real medical bills.
• Prescription coverage. GLP-1 drugs are part of what's driving 2027 premiums up, and plans differ in how they cover them. If you take a specialty drug, check its tier in each plan's 2027 formulary.
• Where you are now. If you've moved since retiring, confirm your plan still has a network near you.

Retirees make Open Season changes through OPM Retirement Services (online or by phone), not through a former agency.

4. Turning 65: The Medicare Question

At 65, FEHB continues — it doesn't end when Medicare starts. The decision is whether to add Medicare Part B, which has its own monthly premium.

• With Part B, Medicare usually pays first and many FEHB plans waive deductibles and coinsurance, so out-of-pocket costs drop sharply. Some plans also reimburse part of the Part B premium, or offer a Medicare Advantage option that bundles both.
• Without Part B, FEHB alone pays for outpatient care. Your total premiums are lower, but your costs in a bad year are higher.
• Postal Service retirees in PSHB generally must enroll in Part B to keep PSHB coverage, with limited exceptions.

Delaying Part B past your initial enrollment period without other employer coverage can mean a lifetime late-enrollment penalty. Make the decision on purpose, before 65, not by default.

5. FEDVIP and FSAFEDS

• FEDVIP dental and vision are open to retirees, and Open Season is the usual time to enroll or change. Premiums are paid entirely by the enrollee.
• FSAFEDS flexible spending accounts are for employees only. If you'll retire during 2027, size your FSA election to what you'll spend before you leave. For 2027, FSAFEDS adds a Visa card option for paying eligible healthcare expenses at the point of sale.

6. Common Open Season Mistakes

• Letting a spouse's private plan run out the clock. Without five years of FEHB coverage, you can't carry it into retirement.
• Comparing premiums only. Total expected cost is what matters.
• Keeping an HMO when you plan to move. Choose a plan that works where you'll live.
• Paying for Self and Family coverage nobody needs. Check the ages of covered children.
• Cancelling in retirement. A retiree who cancels FEHB generally can't re-enroll. Suspension is allowed only for specific reasons, such as moving to a Medicare Advantage plan or TRICARE.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is FEHB Open Season 2026? November 9 through December 14, 2026. Changes take effect in January 2027.

How much are FEHB premiums going up for 2027? OPM reports an average 10.9% increase in the enrollee share for FEHB and 8.2% for PSHB. Individual plans vary.

Does switching plans during Open Season affect the five-year rule? No. Any continuous FEHB coverage counts, including different plans and coverage as a family member.

Can retirees change FEHB plans during Open Season? Yes. Retirees make changes through OPM Retirement Services.

Do I need Medicare Part B if I have FEHB? It's not required for FEHB (PSHB is different). Whether it's worth the premium depends on your plan and your expected medical costs.

Can I use FSAFEDS in retirement? No. Flexible spending accounts are for current employees only.

The Bottom Line

For most employees, Open Season is a once-a-year price check. Within five years of retirement, it's also the moment to make sure you'll keep FEHB at all, and that the plan you choose will work for where and how you'll live. Check the clock, compare after-tax, check the network — and if 65 is close, decide about Part B on purpose.

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